I am coming up on the 5 yr anniversary for my IWC. If I recall, IWC recommends maintenance every 5 yrs. The watch is worn every other weekend and sometimes on longer holiday. It is keeping the same time as when I purchased it. Should I send it in now or wait a bit longer? BTW, it doesn't see much water either

Tom, they all say five years. Personally, and this is just personally, I'd say wait until it begins to lose time before sending it in for servicing. For me the "recommended servicing" date is a recommended "we want more of your money." All mechanicals need servicing in due time, but that due time widely differs. Take care, bud. Karl

...(and for all watches, really), I generally look for signs of the watch requiring service, and this will often present as variance in timekeeping, reluctance to start, and/or inability to hold a decent power reserve. However, and this is the part some overlook - I don't expect they can be run forever without service. So, I temper it with commonsense as these are machines. They require sufficient and effective lubrication to both run effectively (ie, keep time) and limit wear to parts due to friction. Therefore, if any watch has significantly passed a reasonable between-service period (roughtly 5 to 8 years) then it can be assumed to be due for a service or getting close to it, no matter how it is running. Whether it gets a service right then depends on priorities. I tend to get used watches serviced when I acquire them if possible as the service history is generally unknown. Most watches I collect are vintage or antique and parts can be difficult to source. Therefore I try to avoid running them to the point where damage would likely be escalating.

...for a 5-year service they discouraged it. Said that if the watch was running OK to leave it until it showed some change in behaviour. Mind you, I imagine they would take it by the time 10 years had passed.

A watch will suffer some wear and tear over the years, no doubt. This will be all the more the case if you wear a watch all the time, doing some rough stuff with it. My guess is that the 5 year service period is recommended by manufacturers for this scenario, and even then it is quite probable that the watch still is more than just OK: a manufacturer will not like a huge amount of watches for service needed before this 5 year period is over, which will lead to bad publicity.

I have several watches, some of them I wear more often than others. When not wearing them I let them run out, but I give them a wind or two every 2 or 3 months, to remind them that running is what they are meant for, or they might become lazy bastards.

I have NEVER encountered a problem with my watches until now, even when some of them are more than 15 years old. So I support the statement to just wait and see until something happens. The worst thing that may happen is that during maintenance a few parts will have to be replaced, it will be so. Until then you have a good functioning watch. Remember, there is a possibility that during maintenance something may go wrong too, I know of such stories, it is better to prevent this.

buy a Timegrapher and test the amplitude, beat error and rate of the watch. Then check the power reserve. If everything checks out, I wouldn't send it in. After all, watchmakers assess the condition of a watch based on those parameters. Just don't take the watch diving. Plus, for most mid-range watches, parts are included in service cost unless the part is made of precious metal.

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." JFK (on the topic of re-issue frenzy)

I have spoken to several well regarded watchmakers who feel that damage can be done to parts even when timing amplitude and beat error are
normal and the watch is seemingly running fine. Granted these watchmakers have a vested interest in servicing, but I have been convinced by several photos of the damage that can occur.
As a vintage guy, this issue is more important to me because worn parts are often not easy to replace. So for me, peace of mind is a service every 5-8 years, certainly on my more important pieces.

...is a recommended service every 1,825 days of wearing.
Wear just weekends and it takes 17.5 years to build up an equivalent wear rating.
Then of course there is re-lubrication which may factor into the equation. And other such parameters as ambient climate i.e. living at the North Pole in an igloo or straw hut at the equator and whether you are an active person while wearing or a couch potato.
Lots of endless factors but maybe the only ones that matter are:
How tight you are.
How many watches in your rotation yielding multiple service outlays. See above.
Does it run to an acceptable tolerance.
Do you trust your service centre not to mess up your watch?
Can you bear to be parted from your beloved for a few weeks/months?
It's your watch but certainly adhering to the manufacturers recommendation won't hurt, unless the guy opening your watch is a rookie with one eye on the clock on a Friday afternoon.

...whilst a watch appears to be running OK, as odd as that may seem to some. This is why I temper the "Wait until it show signs" idea with an appreciation that running significantly beyond a reasonable period is generally to be avoided.

The matter of the watches being older is important. Owners of only newer watches will not likely have been exposed to the frustrations of having older, less available, parts sourced and these are nearly always the very parts that wear the most and are thus likely to be the parts you need. It's a circle wherein the needed parts dry up first. Thus, the vintage watch collector soon learns to avoid requiring more work on the watches than necessary. Services on newer watches will draw on readily available parts stocks and so replacement, sometimes more than really necessary, is consided normal.

Thank you all so much for the wide and varied opinions! I do believe the thread I saw was that if it is running ok, let it go for a bit more. I think that I will keep and eye on it and look towards it 6th or 7th birthday.

I would wait until there is some evidence of a problem. I have serviced my IWC twice and wish I never had - it has never run as well, but I didn't send it in to the factory. Maybe that was my mistake. But if it's running fine then wait. Maybe after 10 years if all seems well.

I had two watches serviced this summer, both are worn in a weekly rotation of 5 watches. In both cases they were in that 5-7 year range since the last service, each started losing time. When speaking to the respective repair centers, it was clear the mechanisms were getting dry, seals needed replacing, etc. Although one was sent back (it was out of COSC, and the timing was adjusted at no cost), I can say I have been generally pleased with the manufacturer repair. Look, no one gets into this hobby because its inexpensive. My opinion is the watch will tell you when its time for service, but then its worth the investment to have it done correct, IMHO. Thank you.